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McLeod VM, Lau CL, Chiam MD, Rupasinghe TW, Roessner U, Djouma E, Boon WC, Turner BJ. Androgen receptor antagonism accelerates disease onset in the SOD1 G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:2111-2130. [PMID: 30849180 PMCID: PMC6555856 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease typically more common in males, implicating androgens in progression of both patients and mouse models. Androgen effects are mediated by androgen receptor which is highly expressed in spinal motor neurons and skeletal muscles. To clarify the role of androgen receptors in ALS, we therefore examined the effect of androgen receptor antagonism in the SOD1G93A mouse model. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The androgen receptor antagonist, flutamide, was administered to presymptomatic SOD1G93A mice as a slow-release subcutaneous implant (5 mg·day-1 ). Testosterone, flutamide, and metabolite levels were measured in blood and spinal cord tissue by LC-MS-MS. Effects on disease onset and progression were assessed using motor function tests, survival, muscle, and neuropathological analyses. KEY RESULTS Flutamide was metabolised to 2-hydroxyflutamide achieving steady-state plasma levels across the study duration and reached the spinal cord at pharmacologically active concentrations. Flutamide treatment accelerated disease onset and locomotor dysfunction in male SOD1G93A mice, but not female mice, without affecting survival. Analysis of hindlimb muscles revealed exacerbation of myofibre atrophy in male SOD1G93A mice treated with flutamide, although motor neuron pathology was not affected. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The androgen receptor antagonist accelerated disease onset in male SOD1G93A mice, leading to exacerbated muscle pathology, consistent with a role of androgens in modulating disease severity, sexual dimorphism, and peripheral pathology in ALS. These results also demonstrate a key contribution of skeletal muscle pathology to disease onset, but not outcome, in this mouse model of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M. McLeod
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Chew L. Lau
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Mathew D.F. Chiam
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Thusitha W. Rupasinghe
- Metabolomics Australia, School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Ute Roessner
- Metabolomics Australia, School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Elvan Djouma
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and MicrobiologyLa Trobe UniversityBundooraVICAustralia
| | - Wah C. Boon
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Bradley J. Turner
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVICAustralia
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Custer SK, Astroski JW, Li HX, Androphy EJ. Interaction between alpha-COP and SMN ameliorates disease phenotype in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 514:530-537. [PMID: 31060774 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.04.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We report that expression of the α-COP protein rescues disease phenotype in a severe mouse model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Lentiviral particles expressing α-COP were injected directly into the testes of genetically pure mouse strain of interest resulting in infection of the spermatagonial stem cells. α-COP was stably expressed in brain, skeletal muscle, and spinal cord without altering SMN protein levels. SMA mice transgenic for α-COP live significantly longer than their non-transgenic littermates, and showed increased body mass and normal muscle morphology at postnatal day 15. We previously reported that binding between SMN and α-COP is required for restoration of neurite outgrowth in cells lacking SMN, and we report similar finding here. Lentiviral-mediated transgenic expression of SMN where the dilysine domain in exon 2b was mutated was not able to rescue the SMA phenotype despite robust expression of the mutant SMN protein in brain, muscle and spinal cord. These results demonstrate that α-COP is a validated modifier of SMA disease phenotype in a mammalian, vertebrate model and is a potential target for development of future SMN-independent therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Custer
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Dermatology, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Jacob W Astroski
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Dermatology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hong Xia Li
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Dermatology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Elliot J Androphy
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Dermatology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Tang L, Ma Y, Liu XL, Chen L, Fan DS. Better survival in female SOD1-mutant patients with ALS: a study of SOD1-related natural history. Transl Neurodegener 2019; 8:2. [PMID: 30637102 PMCID: PMC6325854 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0142-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background SOD1 mutations are the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in non-Caucasian patients. Detailed natural history profiles of SOD1-mutant patients will be beneficial for the strategy and interpretation of future SOD1-targeted clinical practice. Methods Mutational distribution, age at onset (AAO), site of onset, diagnostic delay, disease progression (rate of ALSFRS-R decrease, ΔFS) and survival were analysed. Further comparisons between heredity of disease, gender, and mutations were performed. Results Sixty-six cases with 43 SOD1 mutations were included and analysed, with p.His47Arg as the leading mutation and seven novel variants identified. The mean (SD) AAO was 43.92 years (9.24) for all subjects, with a significant difference between patients carrying mutations in exon 2 (n = 24,46.83, 8.31) and exon 4 (n = 18, 37.75, 7.67) (p = 0.002). The median (IQR) diagnostic delay from symptom onset was 14.50 (6.00–36.50) months for all SOD1-mutant patients, 9.50 (4.75–24.25) months for males and 24.00 (9.50–47.50) months for females, revealing a gender difference (p = 0.009). Similar advantages in median (IQR) ΔFS [male: female, 0.55 (0.24–0.94) vs 0.19 (0.06–0.90), p = 0.041] and mean (95% CI) survival [57.4 (38.90–75.90) months vs 125.6 (99.80–151.50) months, p = 0.006] were also observed in females, both of which existed in sporadic ALS only when stratified by familiar or sporadic ALS. Conclusions The results highlight a distinct mutational distribution and natural history spectrum in ALS patients carrying SOD1 mutations in China. A prominent mild disease progression was observed in female patients, which had rarely been reported in the previous literature. This finding, together with the detailed analysis of natural history among each mutation, can have important implications for future genetic counselling and SOD1-targeted clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Tang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Lu Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Dong-Sheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
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54
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Jordan K, Murphy J, Singh A, Mitchell CS. Astrocyte-Mediated Neuromodulatory Regulation in Preclinical ALS: A Metadata Analysis. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:491. [PMID: 30618638 PMCID: PMC6305074 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degradation of motoneurons in the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocytes are key regulators for inflammation and neuromodulatory signaling, both of which contribute to ALS. The study goal was to ascertain potential temporal changes in astrocyte-mediated neuromodulatory regulation with transgenic ALS model progression: glutamate, GTL-1, GluR1, GluR2, GABA, ChAT activity, VGF, TNFα, aspartate, and IGF-1. We examine neuromodulatory changes in data aggregates from 42 peer-reviewed studies derived from transgenic ALS mixed cell cultures (neurons + astrocytes). For each corresponding experimental time point, the ratio of transgenic to wild type (WT) was found for each compound. ANOVA and a student's t-test were performed to compare disease stages (early, post-onset, and end stage). Glutamate in transgenic SOD1-G93A mixed cell cultures does not change over time (p > 0.05). GLT-1 levels were found to be decreased 23% over WT but only at end-stage (p < 0.05). Glutamate receptors (GluR1, GluR2) in SOD1-G93A were not substantially different from WT, although SOD1-G93A GluR1 decreased by 21% from post-onset to end-stage (p < 0.05). ChAT activity was insignificantly decreased. VGF is decreased throughout ALS (p < 0.05). Aspartate is elevated by 25% in SOD1-G93A but only during end-stage (p < 0.05). TNFα is increased by a dramatic 362% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, principal component analysis identified TNFα as contributing to 55% of the data variance in the first component. Thus, TNFα, which modulates astrocyte regulation via multiple pathways, could be a strategic treatment target. Overall results suggest changes in neuromodulator levels are subtle in SOD1-G93A ALS mixed cell cultures. If excitotoxicity is present as is often presumed, it could be due to ALS cells being more sensitive to small changes in neuromodulation. Hence, seemingly unsubstantial or oscillatory changes in neuromodulators could wreak havoc in ALS cells, resulting in failed microenvironment homeostasis whereby both hyperexcitability and hypoexcitability can coexist. Future work is needed to examine local, spatiotemporal neuromodulatory homeostasis and assess its functional impact in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Jordan
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Joseph Murphy
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Anjanya Singh
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- School of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Cassie S. Mitchell
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
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55
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Zubiri I, Lombardi V, Bremang M, Mitra V, Nardo G, Adiutori R, Lu CH, Leoni E, Yip P, Yildiz O, Ward M, Greensmith L, Bendotti C, Pike I, Malaspina A. Tissue-enhanced plasma proteomic analysis for disease stratification in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Neurodegener 2018; 13:60. [PMID: 30404656 PMCID: PMC6223075 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-018-0292-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is unclear to what extent pre-clinical studies in genetically homogeneous animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorder, can be informative of human pathology. The disease modifying effects in animal models of most therapeutic compounds have not been reproduced in patients. To advance therapeutics in ALS, we need easily accessible disease biomarkers which can discriminate across the phenotypic variants observed in ALS patients and can bridge animal and human pathology. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells alterations reflect the rate of progression of the disease representing an ideal biological substrate for biomarkers discovery. Methods We have applied TMTcalibrator™, a novel tissue-enhanced bio fluid mass spectrometry technique, to study the plasma proteome in ALS, using peripheral blood mononuclear cells as tissue calibrator. We have tested slow and fast progressing SOD1G93A mouse models of ALS at a pre-symptomatic and symptomatic stage in parallel with fast and slow progressing ALS patients at an early and late stage of the disease. Immunoassays were used to retest the expression of relevant protein candidates. Results The biological features differentiating fast from slow progressing mouse model plasma proteomes were different from those identified in human pathology, with only processes encompassing membrane trafficking with translocation of GLUT4, innate immunity, acute phase response and cytoskeleton organization showing enrichment in both species. Biological processes associated with senescence, RNA processing, cell stress and metabolism, major histocompatibility complex-II linked immune-reactivity and apoptosis (early stage) were enriched specifically in fast progressing ALS patients. Immunodetection confirmed regulation of the immunosenescence markers Galectin-3, Integrin beta 3 and Transforming growth factor beta-1 in plasma from pre-symptomatic and symptomatic transgenic animals while Apolipoprotein E differential plasma expression provided a good separation between fast and slow progressing ALS patients. Conclusions These findings implicate immunosenescence and metabolism as novel targets for biomarkers and therapeutic discovery and suggest immunomodulation as an early intervention. The variance observed in the plasma proteomes may depend on different biological patterns of disease progression in human and animal model. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13024-018-0292-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Zubiri
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK. .,Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK.
| | - Vittoria Lombardi
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Michael Bremang
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Vikram Mitra
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Giovanni Nardo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Rocco Adiutori
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Ching-Hua Lu
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK.,Department of Neurology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan
| | - Emanuela Leoni
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK.,Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Ping Yip
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Ozlem Yildiz
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Malcolm Ward
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Caterina Bendotti
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Ian Pike
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Andrea Malaspina
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK.
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56
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Gomes C, Cunha C, Nascimento F, Ribeiro JA, Vaz AR, Brites D. Cortical Neurotoxic Astrocytes with Early ALS Pathology and miR-146a Deficit Replicate Gliosis Markers of Symptomatic SOD1G93A Mouse Model. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2137-2158. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1220-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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57
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Coatti GC, Frangini M, Valadares MC, Gomes JP, Lima NO, Cavaçana N, Assoni AF, Pelatti MV, Birbrair A, de Lima ACP, Singer JM, Rocha FMM, Da Silva GL, Mantovani MS, Macedo-Souza LI, Ferrari MFR, Zatz M. Pericytes Extend Survival of ALS SOD1 Mice and Induce the Expression of Antioxidant Enzymes in the Murine Model and in IPSCs Derived Neuronal Cells from an ALS Patient. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2018; 13:686-698. [PMID: 28710685 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-017-9752-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is one of the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease causing a progressive, rapid and irreversible degeneration of motor neurons in the cortex, brain stem and spinal cord. No effective treatment is available and cell therapy clinical trials are currently being tested in ALS affected patients. It is well known that in ALS patients, approximately 50% of pericytes from the spinal cord barrier are lost. In the central nervous system, pericytes act in the formation and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier, a natural defense that slows the progression of symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases. Here we evaluated, for the first time, the therapeutic effect of human pericytes in vivo in SOD1 mice and in vitro in motor neurons and other neuronal cells derived from one ALS patient. Pericytes and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were derived from the same adipose tissue sample and were administered to SOD1 mice intraperitoneally. The effect of the two treatments was compared. Treatment with pericytes extended significantly animals survival in SOD1 males, but not in females that usually have a milder phenotype with higher survival rates. No significant differences were observed in the survival of mice treated with MSCs. Gene expression analysis in brain and spinal cord of end-stage animals showed that treatment with pericytes can stimulate the host antioxidant system. Additionally, pericytes induced the expression of SOD1 and CAT in motor neurons and other neuronal cells derived from one ALS patient carrying a mutation in FUS. Overall, treatment with pericytes was more effective than treatment with MSCs. Our results encourage further investigations and suggest that pericytes may be a good option for ALS treatment in the future. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliana Castello Coatti
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Miriam Frangini
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Marcos C Valadares
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Juliana Plat Gomes
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Natalia O Lima
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Natale Cavaçana
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Amanda F Assoni
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Mayra V Pelatti
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Alexander Birbrair
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, University Federal of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Julio M Singer
- Department of Statistics, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Lucia Inês Macedo-Souza
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Merari F R Ferrari
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil
| | - Mayana Zatz
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Rua do Matāo 106, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-030, Brazil.
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Pfohl SR, Kim RB, Coan GS, Mitchell CS. Unraveling the Complexity of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Survival Prediction. Front Neuroinform 2018; 12:36. [PMID: 29962944 PMCID: PMC6010549 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2018.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The heterogeneity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) survival duration, which varies from <1 year to >10 years, challenges clinical decisions and trials. Utilizing data from 801 deceased ALS patients, we: (1) assess the underlying complex relationships among common clinical ALS metrics; (2) identify which clinical ALS metrics are the "best" survival predictors and how their predictive ability changes as a function of disease progression. Methods: Analyses included examination of relationships within the raw data as well as the construction of interactive survival regression and classification models (generalized linear model and random forests model). Dimensionality reduction and feature clustering enabled decomposition of clinical variable contributions. Thirty-eight metrics were utilized, including Medical Research Council (MRC) muscle scores; respiratory function, including forced vital capacity (FVC) and FVC % predicted, oxygen saturation, negative inspiratory force (NIF); the Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) and its activities of daily living (ADL) and respiratory sub-scores; body weight; onset type, onset age, gender, and height. Prognostic random forest models confirm the dominance of patient age-related parameters decline in classifying survival at thresholds of 30, 60, 90, and 180 days and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. Results: Collective prognostic insight derived from the overall investigation includes: multi-dimensionality of ALSFRS-R scores suggests cautious usage for survival forecasting; upper and lower extremities independently degenerate and are autonomous from respiratory decline, with the latter associating with nearer-to-death classifications; height and weight-based metrics are auxiliary predictors for farther-from-death classifications; sex and onset site (limb, bulbar) are not independent survival predictors due to age co-correlation. Conclusion: The dimensionality and fluctuating predictors of ALS survival must be considered when developing predictive models for clinical trial development or in-clinic usage. Additional independent metrics and possible revisions to current metrics, like the ALSFRS-R, are needed to capture the underlying complexity needed for population and personalized forecasting of survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Pfohl
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Renaid B Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Grant S Coan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.,School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Zhang JJ, Zhou QM, Chen S, Le WD. Repurposing carbamazepine for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in SOD1-G93A mouse model. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 24:1163-1174. [PMID: 29656576 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS To investigate the effect and mechanisms of carbamazepine (CBZ) on the onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in SOD1-G93A mouse model. METHODS Starting from 64 days of age, SOD1-G93A mice were orally administered with CBZ at 200 mg/kg once daily until death. The disease onset and life span of SOD1-G93A mice were recorded. Motor neurons (MNs) in anterior horn of spinal cord were quantified by Nissl staining and SMI-32 immunostaining. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen (NADH), modified Gomori trichrome (MGT), and α-bungarotoxin-ATTO-488 staining were also performed to evaluate muscle and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) damage. Expressions of aggregated SOD1 protein and autophagy-related proteins were further detected by Western blot and immunofluorescent staining. RESULTS Carbamazepine treatment could delay the disease onset and extend life span of SOD1-G93A mice by about 14.5% and 13.9%, respectively. Furthermore, CBZ treatment reduced MNs loss by about 46.6% and ameliorated the altered muscle morphology and NMJ. Much more interestingly, mechanism study revealed that CBZ treatment activated autophagy via AMPK-ULK1 pathway and promoted the clearance of mutant SOD1 aggregation. CONCLUSION Our findings uncovered the therapeutic effects of CBZ against disease pathogenesis in SOD1-G93A mice, indicating a promising clinical utilization of CBZ in ALS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Zhang
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Chifeng Municipal Hospital, Chifeng, China
| | - Qin-Ming Zhou
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng Chen
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Dong Le
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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60
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Iyer AK, Jones KJ, Sanders VM, Walker CL. Temporospatial Analysis and New Players in the Immunology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19020631. [PMID: 29473876 PMCID: PMC5855853 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19020631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of lower and upper motor neurons (MN) leading to muscle weakness, paralysis and eventually death. Although a highly varied etiology results in ALS, it broadly manifests itself as sporadic and familial forms that have evident similarities in clinical symptoms and disease progression. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge on molecular mechanisms leading to loss of MNs and neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) as major determinants of disease onset, severity and progression in ALS. Specifically, two main opposing hypotheses, the dying forward and dying back phenomena, exist to account for NMJ denervation. The former hypothesis proposes that the earliest degeneration occurs at the central MNs and proceeds to the NMJ, whereas in the latter, the peripheral NMJ is the site of precipitating degeneration progressing backwards to the MN cell body. A large body of literature strongly indicates a role for the immune system in disease onset and progression via regulatory involvement at the level of both the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS). In this review, we discuss the earliest reported immune responses with an emphasis on newly identified immune players in mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (mSOD1) transgenic mice, the gold standard mouse model for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhirami K Iyer
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
- Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
| | - Kathryn J Jones
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
- Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
| | - Virginia M Sanders
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Chandler L Walker
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
- Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Applied Sciences, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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61
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Bond L, Bernhardt K, Madria P, Sorrentino K, Scelsi H, Mitchell CS. A Metadata Analysis of Oxidative Stress Etiology in Preclinical Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Benefits of Antioxidant Therapy. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:10. [PMID: 29416499 PMCID: PMC5787557 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress, induced by an imbalance of free radicals, incites neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). In fact, a mutation in antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) accounts for 20% of familial ALS cases. However, the variance among individual studies examining ALS oxidative stress clouds corresponding conclusions. Therefore, we construct a comprehensive, temporal view of oxidative stress and corresponding antioxidant therapy in preclinical ALS by mining published quantitative experimental data and performing metadata analysis of 41 studies. In vitro aggregate analysis of innate oxidative stress inducers, glutamate and hydrogen peroxide, revealed 70–90% of cell death coincides to inducer exposure equivalent to 30–50% peak concentration (p < 0.05). A correlative plateau in cell death suggests oxidative stress impact is greatest in early-stage neurodegeneration. In vivo SOD1-G93A transgenic ALS mouse aggregate analysis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) revealed HSP levels are 30% lower in muscle than spine (p < 0.1). Overall spine HSP levels, including HSP70, are mildly upregulated in SOD1-G93A mice compared to wild type, but not significantly (p > 0.05). Thus, innate HSP compensatory responses to oxidative stress are simply insufficient, a result supportive of homeostatic system instability as central to ALS etiology. In vivo aggregate analysis of antioxidant therapy finds SOD1-G93A ALS mouse survival duration significantly increases by 11.2% (p << 0.001) but insignificantly decreases onset age by 2%. Thus, the aggregate antioxidant treatment effect on survival in preclinical ALS is not sufficient to overcome clinical heterogeneity, which explains the literature disparity between preclinical and clinical antioxidant survival benefit. The aggregate effect sizes on preclinical ALS survival and onset illustrate that present antioxidants, alone, are not sufficient to halt ALS, which underscores its multi-factorial nature. Nonetheless, antioxidant-treated SOD1-G93A ALS mice have significantly increased motor performance (p < 0.05) measured via rotarod. With a colossal aggregate preclinical effect size average of 59.6%, antioxidants are promising for increasing function/quality of life in clinical ALS patients, a premise worth exploration via low-risk nutritional supplements. Finally, more direct, quantitative measures of oxidative stress, antioxidant levels and bioavailability are key to developing powerful antioxidant therapeutics that can assert measurable impacts on redox homeostasis in the brain and spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Bond
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kamren Bernhardt
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Priyank Madria
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Katherine Sorrentino
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Hailee Scelsi
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
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62
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Liu J, Allender E, Wang J, Simpson EH, Loeb JA, Song F. Slowing disease progression in the SOD1 mouse model of ALS by blocking neuregulin-induced microglial activation. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 111:118-126. [PMID: 29278738 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There are no effective treatments to slow disease progression in ALS. We previously reported that neuregulin (NRG) receptors are constitutively activated on microglia in the ventral horns in both ALS patients and SOD1 mice and in the corticospinal tracts of ALS patients, and that NRG receptor activation occurs prior to significant clinical disease onset in SOD1 mice. Here, we hypothesize that blocking NRG signaling on microglia would slow disease progression in SOD1 mice using a targeted NRG antagonist (HBD-S-H4). Recombinant HBD-S-H4 directly delivered into the central nervous system (CNS) through implanted intracerebroventricular cannulas showed no signs of toxicity and significantly inhibited NRG receptor activation on microglia resulting in reduced microglial activation and motor neuron loss. The treatment also resulted in a delay in disease onset and an increase in survival. The therapeutic effect was dose-dependent that varied as a function of genetic background in two different strains of SOD1 mice. As a complementary drug delivery approach, transgenic mice expressing HBD-S-H4 driven by an astrocytic promoter (GFAP) had slower disease progression in a dose dependent manner, based on the level of HBD-S-H4 expression. These studies provide mechanistic insights into how NRG signaling on microglia may lead to disease progression and demonstrate the utility of a humanized fusion protein that blocks NRG as a novel therapeutic for human ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Liu
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Elise Allender
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Jiajing Wang
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Eleanor H Simpson
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Jeffrey A Loeb
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Fei Song
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
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63
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Ohgomori T, Yamasaki R, Takeuchi H, Kadomatsu K, Kira JI, Jinno S. Differential activation of neuronal and glial STAT3 in the spinal cord of the SOD1 G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 46:2001-2014. [PMID: 28715117 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are activated by phosphorylation in the spinal cord of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The major scope of our study is a comprehensive histological characterization of the mechanisms underlying neuronal and glial STAT3 activation in the pathogenesis of ALS using SOD1G93A mice. We calculated the fold changes (FCs, ratios vs. appropriate controls) of the numerical densities of the following phosphorylated STAT3-positive (pSTAT3)+ cells - choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+ α-motoneurons, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1)+ microglia, and S100β+ astrocytes in SOD1G93A mice. The FCs of pSTAT3+ microglia and pSTAT3+ astrocytes were increased from 9 to 15 weeks of age and then plateaued until 21 weeks. In contrast, the FCs of pSTAT3+ α-motoneurons peaked at 9 weeks and then decreased until 21 weeks. The immunoreactivity for nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein (SMI-32), a marker of axonal impairment, was decreased in pSTAT3+ α-motoneurons compared with pSTAT3- α-motoneurons at 9 weeks of age. We then compared the following pharmacological models - the chronic administration of 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN), which models axonal impairment, and the acute administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a model of neuroinflammation. The FCs of pSTAT3+ α-motoneurons were increased in IDPN-treated mice, while those of pSTAT3+ microglia were increased in LPS-treated mice. The FCs of pSTAT3+ astrocytes were higher in SOD1G93A mice at 9 weeks compared with IDPN- and LPS-treated mice. Our results indicate that axonopathy and neuroinflammation may trigger the respective activation of neuronal and glial STAT3, which is observed during ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Ohgomori
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Ryo Yamasaki
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Takeuchi
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kenji Kadomatsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Kira
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shozo Jinno
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
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Biferi MG, Cohen-Tannoudji M, Cappelletto A, Giroux B, Roda M, Astord S, Marais T, Bos C, Voit T, Ferry A, Barkats M. A New AAV10-U7-Mediated Gene Therapy Prolongs Survival and Restores Function in an ALS Mouse Model. Mol Ther 2017; 25:2038-2052. [PMID: 28663100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most promising therapeutic approaches for familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis linked to superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is the suppression of toxic mutant SOD1 in the affected tissues. Here, we report an innovative molecular strategy for inducing substantial, widespread, and sustained reduction of mutant human SOD1 (hSOD1) levels throughout the body of SOD1G93A mice, leading to therapeutic effects in animals. Adeno-associated virus serotype rh10 vectors (AAV10) were used to mediate exon skipping of the hSOD1 pre-mRNA by expression of exon-2-targeted antisense sequences embedded in a modified U7 small-nuclear RNA (AAV10-U7-hSOD). Skipping of hSOD1 exon 2 led to the generation of a premature termination codon, inducing production of a deleted transcript that was subsequently degraded by the activation of nonsense-mediated decay. Combined intravenous and intracerebroventricular delivery of AAV10-U7-hSOD increased the survival of SOD1G93A mice injected either at birth or at 50 days of age (by 92% and 58%, respectively) and prevented weight loss and the decline of neuromuscular function. This study reports the effectiveness of an exon-skipping approach in SOD1-ALS mice, supporting the translation of this technology to the treatment of this as yet incurable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Biferi
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France.
| | - Mathilde Cohen-Tannoudji
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Ambra Cappelletto
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Benoit Giroux
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Marianne Roda
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Stéphanie Astord
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Thibaut Marais
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Corinne Bos
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Thomas Voit
- NIHR GOSH Biomedical Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, and Great Ormond Street Hospital Trust, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Arnaud Ferry
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France; Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris 75006, France
| | - Martine Barkats
- Centre of Research in Myology (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
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65
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Bonifacino T, Cattaneo L, Gallia E, Puliti A, Melone M, Provenzano F, Bossi S, Musante I, Usai C, Conti F, Bonanno G, Milanese M. In-vivo effects of knocking-down metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 in the SOD1 G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuropharmacology 2017. [PMID: 28645622 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder due to loss of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). The mechanisms of neuronal death are largely unknown, thus prejudicing the successful pharmacological treatment. One major cause for MN degeneration in ALS is represented by glutamate(Glu)-mediated excitotoxicity. We have previously reported that activation of Group I metabotropic Glu receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR5) at glutamatergic spinal cord nerve terminals produces abnormal Glu release in the widely studied SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. We also demonstrated that halving mGluR1 expression in the SOD1G93A mouse had a positive impact on survival, disease onset, disease progression, and on a number of cellular and biochemical readouts of ALS. We generated here SOD1G93A mice with reduced expression of mGluR5 (SOD1G93AGrm5-/+) by crossing the SOD1G93A mutant mouse with the mGluR5 heterozigous Grm5-/+ mouse. SOD1G93AGrm5-/+ mice showed prolonged survival probability and delayed pathology onset. These effects were associated to enhanced number of preserved MNs, decreased astrocyte and microglia activation, reduced cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, and regularization of abnormal Glu release in the spinal cord of SOD1G93AGrm5-/+ mice. Unexpectedly, only male SOD1G93AGrm5-/+ mice showed improved motor skills during disease progression vs. SOD1G93A mice, while SOD1G93AGrm5-/+ females did not. These results demonstrate that a lower constitutive level of mGluR5 has a significant positive impact in mice with ALS and support the idea that blocking Group I mGluRs may represent a potentially effective pharmacological approach to the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa Viale Cembrano, 4 - 16148, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Cattaneo
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa Viale Cembrano, 4 - 16148, Genoa, Italy
| | - Elena Gallia
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa Viale Cembrano, 4 - 16148, Genoa, Italy
| | - Aldamaria Puliti
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa Viale Cembrano, 4 - 16148, Genoa, Italy; Medical Genetics Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini, 5 - 16147, Genoa, Italy; Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 9 - 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marcello Melone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Tronto 10/a - 60126, Torrette di Ancona, Ancona, Italy; Centre for Neurobiology of Aging, INRCA IRCCS, Via S.Margherita, 5 - 60124, Ancona, Italy
| | - Francesca Provenzano
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa Viale Cembrano, 4 - 16148, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simone Bossi
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, L.go P. Daneo, 3 - 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ilaria Musante
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, L.go P. Daneo, 3 - 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Cesare Usai
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council (CNR), Via Darini, 6 - Torre di Francia, 16149, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Tronto 10/a - 60126, Torrette di Ancona, Ancona, Italy; Centre for Neurobiology of Aging, INRCA IRCCS, Via S.Margherita, 5 - 60124, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa Viale Cembrano, 4 - 16148, Genoa, Italy; Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 9 - 16132, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa Viale Cembrano, 4 - 16148, Genoa, Italy; Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 9 - 16132, Genoa, Italy
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Ohgomori T, Yamasaki R, Takeuchi H, Kadomatsu K, Kira JI, Jinno S. Differential involvement of vesicular and glial glutamate transporters around spinal α-motoneurons in the pathogenesis of SOD1 G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuroscience 2017; 356:114-124. [PMID: 28526579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
From a view point of the glutamate excitotoxicity theory, several studies have suggested that abnormal glutamate homeostasis via dysfunction of glial glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) may underlie neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the detailed role of GLT-1 in the pathogenies of ALS remains controversial. To assess this issue, here we elucidated structural alterations associated with dysregulation of glutamate homeostasis using SOD1G93A mice, a genetic model of familial ALS. We first examined the viability of α-motoneurons in the lumbar spinal cord of SOD1G93A mice. Measurement of the soma size and density indicated that α-motoneurons might be intact at 9weeks of age (presymptomatic stage), then soma shrinkage began at 15weeks of age (progressive stage), and finally neuronal density declined at 21weeks of age (end stage). Next, we carried out the line profile analysis, and found that the coverage of α-motoneurons by GLT-1-positive (GLT-1+) astrocytic processes was decreased only at 21weeks of age, while the reduction of coverage of α-motoneurons by synaptophysin-positive (SYP+) presynaptic terminals began at 15weeks of age. Interestingly, the coverage of α-motoneurons by VGluT2+ presynaptic terminals was transiently increased at 9weeks of age, and then gradually decreased towards 21weeks of age. On the other hand, there were no time-dependent alterations in the coverage of α-motoneurons by GABAergic presynaptic terminals. These findings suggest that VGluT2 and GLT-1 may be differentially involved in the pathogenesis of ALS via abnormal glutamate homeostasis at the presymptomatic stage and end stage of disease, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Ohgomori
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Ryo Yamasaki
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Takeuchi
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; Department of Neurology and Stroke Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kenji Kadomatsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Kira
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Shozo Jinno
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
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67
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Günther R, Balck A, Koch JC, Nientiedt T, Sereda M, Bähr M, Lingor P, Tönges L. Rho Kinase Inhibition with Fasudil in the SOD1 G93A Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Symptomatic Treatment Potential after Disease Onset. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:17. [PMID: 28197100 PMCID: PMC5281550 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite an improved understanding of the genetic background and the pathomechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) no novel disease-modifying therapies have been successfully implemented in clinical routine. Riluzole still remains the only clinically approved substance in human ALS treatment with limited efficacy. We have previously identified pharmacological rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors as orally applicable substances in SOD1.G93A transgenic ALS mice (SOD1G93A), which are able to extend survival time and improve motor function after presymptomatic treatment. Here, we have evaluated the therapeutic effect of the orally administered ROCK inhibitor Fasudil starting at a symptomatic disease stage, more realistically reflecting the clinical situation. Oral Fasudil treatment was initiated at a symptomatic stage at 80 days of life (d80) with 30 or 100 mg/kg body weight in both female and male mice. While baseline neurological scoring and survival were not influenced, Fasudil significantly improved motor behavior in male mice. Spinal cord pathology of motoneurons (MN) and infiltrating microglial cells (MG) at disease end-stage were not significantly modified. Although treatment after symptom onset was less potent than treatment in asymptomatic animals, our study shows the therapeutic benefits of this well-tolerated substance, which is already in clinical use for other indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Günther
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; Department of Neurology, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Balck
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; Institute of Neurogenetics, University of LübeckLübeck, Germany
| | - Jan C Koch
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Nientiedt
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Sereda
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental MedicineGöttingen, Germany; Department of Clinical NeurophysiologyGöttingen, Germany
| | - Mathias Bähr
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the BrainGöttingen, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the BrainGöttingen, Germany
| | - Lars Tönges
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the BrainGöttingen, Germany; Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr University BochumBochum, Germany
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68
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Bendotti C, Bonetto V, Migheli A. Introduction. Brain Pathol 2016; 26:224-6. [PMID: 26780164 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Bendotti
- Laboratory Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience-IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milano, Italy
| | - Valentina Bonetto
- Laboratory of Translational Proteomics, Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milano, Italy
| | - Antonio Migheli
- Centro Regionale Diagnosi ed Osservazione delle Malattie Prioniche DOMP-ASL TO2, Turin, Italy
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Nardo G, Trolese MC, de Vito G, Cecchi R, Riva N, Dina G, Heath PR, Quattrini A, Shaw PJ, Piazza V, Bendotti C. Immune response in peripheral axons delays disease progression in SOD1 G93A mice. J Neuroinflammation 2016; 13:261. [PMID: 27717377 PMCID: PMC5055725 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-016-0732-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increasing evidence suggests that the immune system has a beneficial role in the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) although the mechanism remains unclear. Recently, we demonstrated that motor neurons (MNs) of C57SOD1G93A mice with slow disease progression activate molecules classically involved in the cross-talk with the immune system. This happens a lot less in 129SvSOD1G93A mice which, while expressing the same amount of transgene, had faster disease progression and earlier axonal damage. The present study investigated whether and how the immune response is involved in the preservation of motor axons in the mouse model of familial ALS with a more benign disease course. Methods First, the extent of axonal damage, Schwann cell proliferation, and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) denervation were compared between the two ALS mouse models at the disease onset. Then, we compared the expression levels of different immune molecules, the morphology of myelin sheaths, and the presence of blood-derived immune cell infiltrates in the sciatic nerve of the two SOD1G93A mouse strains using immunohistochemical, immunoblot, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and rotating-polarization Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering techniques. Results Muscle denervation, axonal dysregulation, and myelin disruption together with reduced Schwann cell proliferation are prominent in 129SvSOD1G93A compared to C57SOD1G93A mice at the disease onset, and this correlates with a faster disease progression in the first strain. On the contrary, a striking increase of immune molecules such as CCL2, MHCI, and C3 was seen in sciatic nerves of slow progressor C57SOD1G93A mice and this was accompanied by heavy infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes and macrophages. These phenomena were not detectable in the peripheral nervous system of fast-progressing mice. Conclusions These data show for the first time that damaged MNs in SOD1-related ALS actively recruit immune cells in the peripheral nervous system to delay muscle denervation and prolong the lifespan. On the contrary, the lack of this response has a negative impact on the disease course. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-016-0732-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Nardo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy.
| | - Maria Chiara Trolese
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe de Vito
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127, Pisa, Italy.,Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roberta Cecchi
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nilo Riva
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Neurology, INSPE, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Dibit II, Via Olgettina 48, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgia Dina
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Neurology, INSPE, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Dibit II, Via Olgettina 48, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Paul R Heath
- Department of Neuroscience, Academic Neurology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Angelo Quattrini
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Neurology, INSPE, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Dibit II, Via Olgettina 48, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Academic Neurology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Vincenzo Piazza
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Caterina Bendotti
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy.
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Sugita S, Fleming LL, Wood C, Vaughan SK, Gomes MPSM, Camargo W, Naves LA, Prado VF, Prado MAM, Guatimosim C, Valdez G. VAChT overexpression increases acetylcholine at the synaptic cleft and accelerates aging of neuromuscular junctions. Skelet Muscle 2016; 6:31. [PMID: 27713817 PMCID: PMC5050580 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-016-0105-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cholinergic dysfunction occurs during aging and in a variety of diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, it remains unknown whether changes in cholinergic transmission contributes to age- and disease-related degeneration of the motor system. Here we investigated the effect of moderately increasing levels of synaptic acetylcholine (ACh) on the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), muscle fibers, and motor neurons during development and aging and in a mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). METHODS Chat-ChR2-EYFP (VAChTHyp) mice containing multiple copies of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1G93A), and Chat-IRES-Cre and tdTomato transgenic mice were used in this study. NMJs, muscle fibers, and α-motor neurons' somata and their axons were examined using a light microscope. Transcripts for select genes in muscles and spinal cords were assessed using real-time quantitative PCR. Motor function tests were carried out using an inverted wire mesh and a rotarod. Electrophysiological recordings were collected to examine miniature endplate potentials (MEPP) in muscles. RESULTS We show that VAChT is elevated in the spinal cord and at NMJs of VAChTHyp mice. We also show that the amplitude of MEPPs is significantly higher in VAChTHyp muscles, indicating that more ACh is loaded into synaptic vesicles and released into the synaptic cleft at NMJs of VAChTHyp mice compared to control mice. While the development of NMJs was not affected in VAChTHyp mice, NMJs prematurely acquired age-related structural alterations in adult VAChTHyp mice. These structural changes at NMJs were accompanied by motor deficits in VAChTHyp mice. However, cellular features of muscle fibers and levels of molecules with critical functions at the NMJ and in muscle fibers were largely unchanged in VAChTHyp mice. In the SOD1G93A mouse model for ALS, increasing synaptic ACh accelerated degeneration of NMJs caused motor deficits and resulted in premature death specifically in male mice. CONCLUSIONS The data presented in this manuscript demonstrate that increasing levels of ACh at the synaptic cleft promote degeneration of adult NMJs, contributing to age- and disease-related motor deficits. We thus propose that maintaining normal cholinergic signaling in muscles will slow degeneration of NMJs and attenuate loss of motor function caused by aging and neuromuscular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Sugita
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA USA
| | - Leland L. Fleming
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA USA
- Virginia Tech Postbaccalaureate Research and Education (VT PREP) Scholar, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - Caleb Wood
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA USA
| | - Sydney K. Vaughan
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA USA
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - Matheus P. S. M. Gomes
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instiuto Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Wallace Camargo
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instiuto Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Ligia A. Naves
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instiuto Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Vania F. Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5K8 Canada
| | - Marco A. M. Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5K8 Canada
| | - Cristina Guatimosim
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instiuto Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Gregorio Valdez
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
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Picher-Martel V, Valdmanis PN, Gould PV, Julien JP, Dupré N. From animal models to human disease: a genetic approach for personalized medicine in ALS. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2016; 4:70. [PMID: 27400686 PMCID: PMC4940869 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-016-0340-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most frequent motor neuron disease in adults. Classical ALS is characterized by the death of upper and lower motor neurons leading to progressive paralysis. Approximately 10 % of ALS patients have familial form of the disease. Numerous different gene mutations have been found in familial cases of ALS, such as mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), C9ORF72, ubiquilin-2 (UBQLN2), optineurin (OPTN) and others. Multiple animal models were generated to mimic the disease and to test future treatments. However, no animal model fully replicates the spectrum of phenotypes in the human disease and it is difficult to assess how a therapeutic effect in disease models can predict efficacy in humans. Importantly, the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of ALS leads to a variety of responses to similar treatment regimens. From this has emerged the concept of personalized medicine (PM), which is a medical scheme that combines study of genetic, environmental and clinical diagnostic testing, including biomarkers, to individualized patient care. In this perspective, we used subgroups of specific ALS-linked gene mutations to go through existing animal models and to provide a comprehensive profile of the differences and similarities between animal models of disease and human disease. Finally, we reviewed application of biomarkers and gene therapies relevant in personalized medicine approach. For instance, this includes viral delivering of antisense oligonucleotide and small interfering RNA in SOD1, TDP-43 and C9orf72 mice models. Promising gene therapies raised possibilities for treating differently the major mutations in familial ALS cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Picher-Martel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Research Centre of Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Laval University, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada.
| | - Paul N Valdmanis
- Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Stanford University, 269 Campus Drive, CCSR 2110, Stanford, CA, 94305-5164, USA
| | - Peter V Gould
- Division of Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology, Department of Medical Biology, CHU de Québec, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, 1401, 18th street, Québec, QC, Canada, G1J 1Z4
| | - Jean-Pierre Julien
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Research Centre of Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Laval University, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Nicolas Dupré
- Axe Neurosciences & The Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CHU de Québec, Laval University, 1401, 18th street, Québec, QC, G1J 1Z4, Canada.
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Han Y, Ripley B, Serada S, Naka T, Fujimoto M. Interleukin-6 Deficiency Does Not Affect Motor Neuron Disease Caused by Superoxide Dismutase 1 Mutation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153399. [PMID: 27070121 PMCID: PMC4829212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background & Aim Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset, progressive, motor neuron degenerative disease. Recent evidence indicates that inflammation is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases including ALS. Previously, abnormal levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were described in ALS patients and/or in mouse ALS models. In addition, one study showed that blocking IL-1β could slow down progression of ALS-like symptoms in mice. In this study, we examined a role for IL-6 in ALS, using an animal model for familial ALS. Methods Mice with mutant SOD1 (G93A) transgene, a model for familial ALS, were used in this study. The expression of the major inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, in spinal cords of these SOD1 transgenic (TG) mice were assessed by real time PCR. Mice were then crossed with IL-6(-/-) mice to generate SOD1TG/IL-6(-/-) mice. SOD1 TG/IL-6(-/-) mice (n = 17) were compared with SOD1 TG/IL-6(+/-) mice (n = 18), SOD1 TG/IL-6(+/+) mice (n = 11), WT mice (n = 15), IL-6(+/-) mice (n = 5) and IL-6(-/-) mice (n = 8), with respect to neurological disease severity score, body weight and the survival. We also histologically compared the motor neuron loss in lumber spinal cords and the atrophy of hamstring muscles between these mouse groups. Results Levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in spinal cords of SOD1 TG mice was increased compared to WT mice. However, SOD1 TG/IL-6(-/-) mice exhibited weight loss, deterioration in motor function and shortened lifespan (167.55 ± 11.52 days), similarly to SOD1 TG /IL-6(+/+) mice (164.31±12.16 days). Motor neuron numbers and IL-1β and TNF-α levels in spinal cords were not significantly different in SOD1 TG /IL-6(-/-) mice and SOD1 TG /IL-6 (+/+) mice. Conclusion These results provide compelling preclinical evidence indicating that IL-6 does not directly contribute to motor neuron disease caused by SOD1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongmei Han
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1–3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565–0871 Japan
- Laboratory of Immune Signal, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
| | - Barry Ripley
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation, IFReC Research Building, Osaka University 3–1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565–0871, Japan
| | - Satoshi Serada
- Laboratory of Immune Signal, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tetsuji Naka
- Laboratory of Immune Signal, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
| | - Minoru Fujimoto
- Laboratory of Immune Signal, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Osaka, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Nardo G, Trolese MC, Tortarolo M, Vallarola A, Freschi M, Pasetto L, Bonetto V, Bendotti C. New Insights on the Mechanisms of Disease Course Variability in ALS from Mutant SOD1 Mouse Models. Brain Pathol 2016; 26:237-47. [PMID: 26780365 PMCID: PMC8029191 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a heterogeneous disease in terms of progression rate and survival. This is probably one of the reasons for the failure of many clinical trials and the lack of effective therapies. Similar variability is also seen in SOD1(G93A) mouse models based on their genetic background. For example, when the SOD1(G93A) transgene is expressed in C57BL6 background the phenotype is mild with slower disease progression than in the 129Sv mice expressing the same amount of transgene but showing faster progression and shorter lifespan. This review summarizes and discusses data obtained from the analysis of these two mouse models under different aspects such as the motor phenotype, neuropathological alterations in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the motor neuron autonomous and non-cell autonomous mechanisms with the aim of finding elements to explain the different rates of disease progression. We also discuss the identification of promising prognostic biomarkers by comparative analysis of the two ALS mouse models. This analysis might possibly suggest new strategies for effective therapeutic intervention in ALS to slow significantly or even block the course of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Nardo
- Department of NeuroscienceLaboratory Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
| | - Maria Chiara Trolese
- Department of NeuroscienceLaboratory Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
| | - Massimo Tortarolo
- Department of NeuroscienceLaboratory Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
| | - Antonio Vallarola
- Department of NeuroscienceLaboratory Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
| | - Mattia Freschi
- Department of NeuroscienceLaboratory Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
- Animal Facility, AriSLA, Fondazione Italiana di ricerca per la Sclerosi Laterale Amiotrofica
| | - Laura Pasetto
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Laboratory of Translational ProteomicsIRCCS‐Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
| | - Valentina Bonetto
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Laboratory of Translational ProteomicsIRCCS‐Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
| | - Caterina Bendotti
- Department of NeuroscienceLaboratory Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”MilanoItaly
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Cacabelos D, Ramírez-Núñez O, Granado-Serrano AB, Torres P, Ayala V, Moiseeva V, Povedano M, Ferrer I, Pamplona R, Portero-Otin M, Boada J. Early and gender-specific differences in spinal cord mitochondrial function and oxidative stress markers in a mouse model of ALS. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2016; 4:3. [PMID: 26757991 PMCID: PMC4711180 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-015-0271-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease with a gender bias towards major prevalence in male individuals. Several data suggest the involvement of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in its pathogenesis, though differences between genders have not been evaluated. For this reason, we analysed features of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, as well as mitochondrial chain complex enzyme activities and protein expression, lipid profile, and protein oxidative stress markers, in the Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase with the G93A mutation (hSOD1-G93A)- transgenic mice and Neuro2A(N2A) cells overexpressing hSOD1-G93A. Results and Conclusions Our results show that overexpression of hSOD1-G93A in transgenic mice decreased efficiency of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, located at complex I, revealing a temporal delay in females with respect to males associated with a parallel increase in selected markers of protein oxidative damage. Further, females exhibit a fatty acid profile with higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid at 30 days. Mechanistic studies showed that hSOD1-G93A overexpression in N2A cells reduced complex I function, a defect prevented by 17β-estradiol pretreatment. In conclusion, ALS-associated SOD1 mutation leads to delayed mitochondrial dysfunction in female mice in comparison with males, in part attributable to the higher oestrogen levels of the former. This study is important in the effort to further understanding of whether different degrees of spinal cord mitochondrial dysfunction could be disease modifiers in ALS. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40478-015-0271-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Jeyachandran A, Mertens B, McKissick EA, Mitchell CS. Type I Vs. Type II Cytokine Levels as a Function of SOD1 G93A Mouse Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Disease Progression. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:462. [PMID: 26648846 PMCID: PMC4664727 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motoneuron disease that is characterized by the degradation of neurons throughout the central nervous system. Inflammation have been cited a key contributor to ALS neurodegeneration, but the timeline of cytokine upregulation remains unresolved. The goal of this study was to temporally examine the correlation between the varying levels of pro-inflammatory type I cytokines (IL-1β, IL-1α, IL-12, TNF-α, and GFAP) and anti-inflammatory type II cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) throughout the progression of ALS in the SOD1 G93A mouse model. Cytokine level data from high copy SOD1 G93A transgenic mice was collected from 66 peer-reviewed studies. For each corresponding experimental time point, the ratio of transgenic to wild type (TG/WT) cytokine was calculated. One-way ANOVA and t-tests with Bonferonni correction were used to analyze the data. Meta-analysis was performed for four discrete stages: early, pre-onset, post-onset, and end stage. A significant increase in TG cytokine levels was found when compared to WT cytokine levels across the entire SOD1 G93A lifespan for majority of the cytokines. The rates of change of the individual cytokines, and type I and type II were not significantly different; however, the mean fold change of type I was expressed at significantly higher levels than type II levels across all stages with the difference between the means becoming more pronounced at the end stage. An overexpression of cytokines occurred both before and after the onset of ALS symptoms. The trend between pro-inflammatory type I and type II cytokine mean levels indicate a progressive instability of the dynamic balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as anti-inflammatory cytokines fail to mediate the pronounced increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Very early immunoregulatory treatment is necessary to successfully interrupt ALS-induced neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilia Jeyachandran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Benjamin Mertens
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric A McKissick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
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Mitchell CS, Cates A, Kim RB, Hollinger SK. Undergraduate Biocuration: Developing Tomorrow's Researchers While Mining Today's Data. JOURNAL OF UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION : JUNE : A PUBLICATION OF FUN, FACULTY FOR UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE 2015; 14:A56-A65. [PMID: 26557796 PMCID: PMC4640483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Biocuration is a time-intensive process that involves extraction, transcription, and organization of biological or clinical data from disjointed data sets into a user-friendly database. Curated data is subsequently used primarily for text mining or informatics analysis (bioinformatics, neuroinformatics, health informatics, etc.) and secondarily as a researcher resource. Biocuration is traditionally considered a Ph.D. level task, but a massive shortage of curators to consolidate the ever-mounting biomedical "big data" opens the possibility of utilizing biocuration as a means to mine today's data while teaching students skill sets they can utilize in any career. By developing a biocuration assembly line of simplified and compartmentalized tasks, we have enabled biocuration to be effectively performed by a hierarchy of undergraduate students. We summarize the necessary physical resources, process for establishing a data path, biocuration workflow, and undergraduate hierarchy of curation, technical, information technology (IT), quality control and managerial positions. We detail the undergraduate application and training processes and give detailed job descriptions for each position on the assembly line. We present case studies of neuropathology curation performed entirely by undergraduates, namely the construction of experimental databases of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) transgenic mouse models and clinical data from ALS patient records. Our results reveal undergraduate biocuration is scalable for a group of 8-50+ with relatively minimal required resources. Moreover, with average accuracy rates greater than 98.8%, undergraduate biocurators are equivalently accurate to their professional counterparts. Initial training to be completely proficient at the entry-level takes about five weeks with a minimal student time commitment of four hours/week.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassie S. Mitchell
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Cassie S. Mitchell, Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Insitute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332.
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Coan G, Mitchell CS. An Assessment of Possible Neuropathology and Clinical Relationships in 46 Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patient Autopsies. NEURODEGENER DIS 2015; 15:301-12. [PMID: 26183171 DOI: 10.1159/000433581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have suggested overlapping pathological features among motor neuron, cognitive and neurodegenerative diseases. AIMS/METHODS Secondary analysis of 46 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient autopsies was performed to independently assess pathological feature prevalence (e.g. percent of patients with any positive finding), degree of severity (e.g. mild, moderate, severe), and 2,200+ potential clinical/neuropathological correlations. The possible impact of gender, onset age, onset type (limb vs. bulbar), riluzole treatment, and severe TDP-43 pathology was assessed within patient subgroups. RESULTS Assessed features (prevalence, severity) include: lateral corticospinal tract degeneration (89%, moderate); Purkinje cell loss (85%, mild); localized neuronal loss (83%, mild to moderate); TDP-43 inclusions (80%, moderate); Betz cell loss (76%, mild); neurofibrillary tangles (78%, severe); anterior corticospinal tract degeneration (72%, moderate); spinal ventral root atrophy (65%, moderate); atherosclerosis (35%, mild); β-amyloid (35%, mild); tauopathy/tau inclusions (17%, mild); ventricular dilation (13%, mild); Lewy body formation (11%, mild); microinfarcts (7%, mild); and α-synuclein (4%, mild). Twenty-two percent of patients met criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 26% for frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Substantial differences were identified in the AD group and in the different onset age groups. CONCLUSION Our findings support the hypothesis that ALS and its variants could comprise a larger neuropathological continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Coan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., USA
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Irvin CW, Kim RB, Mitchell CS. Seeking homeostasis: temporal trends in respiration, oxidation, and calcium in SOD1 G93A Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:248. [PMID: 26190973 PMCID: PMC4486844 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairments in mitochondria, oxidative regulation, and calcium homeostasis have been well documented in numerous Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) experimental models, especially in the superoxide dismutase 1 glycine 93 to alanine (SOD1 G93A) transgenic mouse. However, the timing of these deficiencies has been debatable. In a systematic review of 45 articles, we examine experimental measurements of cellular respiration, mitochondrial mechanisms, oxidative markers, and calcium regulation. We evaluate the quantitative magnitude and statistical temporal trend of these aggregated assessments in high transgene copy SOD1 G93A mice compared to wild type mice. Analysis of overall trends reveals cellular respiration, intracellular adenosine triphosphate, and corresponding mitochondrial elements (Cox, cytochrome c, complex I, enzyme activity) are depressed for the entire lifespan of the SOD1 G93A mouse. Oxidant markers (H2O2, 8OH2'dG, MDA) are initially similar to wild type but are double that of wild type by the time of symptom onset despite early post-natal elevation of protective heat shock proteins. All aspects of calcium regulation show early disturbances, although a notable and likely compensatory convergence to near wild type levels appears to occur between 40 and 80 days (pre-onset), followed by a post-onset elevation in intracellular calcium. The identified temporal trends and compensatory fluctuations provide evidence that the "cause" of ALS may lay within failed homeostatic regulation, itself, rather than any one particular perturbing event or cellular mechanism. We discuss the vulnerabilities of motoneurons to regulatory instability and possible hypotheses regarding failed regulation and its potential treatment in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron W Irvin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology - Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Renaid B Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology - Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology - Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
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Kim RB, Irvin CW, Tilva KR, Mitchell CS. State of the field: An informatics-based systematic review of the SOD1-G93A amyotrophic lateral sclerosis transgenic mouse model. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2015; 17:1-14. [PMID: 25998063 PMCID: PMC4724331 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2015.1047455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Numerous sub-cellular through system-level disturbances have been identified in over 1300 articles examining the superoxide dismutase-1 guanine 93 to alanine (SOD1-G93A) transgenic mouse amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathophysiology. Manual assessment of such a broad literature base is daunting. We performed a comprehensive informatics-based systematic review or 'field analysis' to agnostically compute and map the current state of the field. Text mining of recaptured articles was used to quantify published data topic breadth and frequency. We constructed a nine-category pathophysiological function-based ontology to systematically organize and quantify the field's primary data. Results demonstrated that the distribution of primary research belonging to each category is: systemic measures an motor function, 59%; inflammation, 46%; cellular energetics, 37%; proteomics, 31%; neural excitability, 22%; apoptosis, 20%; oxidative stress, 18%; aberrant cellular chemistry, 14%; axonal transport, 10%. We constructed a SOD1-G93A field map that visually illustrates and categorizes the 85% most frequently assessed sub-topics. Finally, we present the literature-cited significance of frequently published terms and uncover thinly investigated areas. In conclusion, most articles individually examine at least two categories, which is indicative of the numerous underlying pathophysiological interrelationships. An essential future path is examination of cross-category pathophysiological interrelationships and their co-correspondence to homeostatic regulation and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renaid B Kim
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
| | - Cameron W Irvin
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
| | - Keval R Tilva
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University , Atlanta , Georgia , USA
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